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Matt, meet Aneurin

Who’d have thought it before the Chequers meeting, but there it is, we have a new health secretary. I’ve put together some words from the very latest, and the first, of those at whose desk the NHS buck stops.

At the start of Matt Hancock’s term those interested hang on to every word, but to save time I’ve cut and pasted what I find most relevant here:

“as you may have heard I use an app for my GP. The discussion around my use of a Babylon NHS GP, which works brilliantly for me, has been instructive.

Some people have complained that the rules don’t work for care provided in this revolutionary new way. Others have said the algorithms sometimes throw up errors.

Emphatically the way forward is not to curb the technology – it’s to keep improving it and – only if we need to – change the rules so we can harness new technology in a way that works for everyone: patient and practitioner.

I want to see more technology like this available to all, not just a select few in a few areas of the country.”

A lot of positives. Sees the potential of technology (the NHS is so far behind, he could hardly not), brings in personal experience. Wants universal coverage, hear hear.

Steps into controversial territory with a commercial namecheck perhaps, but there’s a precedent. What I suspect he doesn’t understand is that GP at Hand while limited to the London area at present is not and cannot be a universal model. They exclude a long list of those most in need of a GP, as I don’t need to remind you, and they can’t offer continuity of care.

Our approach is rather to enable existing GP providers with local access and coverage for all patients, to give a much better service, much more profitably. We already serve about 8 times the number of patients covered by GP at Hand, but you might not think so by the volume of noise.

In recent week’s we’ve seen a growing body of GPs tweeting to let the world know that it’s really working. If you haven’t seen it do join the conversation, click to follow @askmyGP

“There is nothing of the social group or class in this: and I know you will be with me in seeing that there does not unintentionally grow up any kind of differentiation between those who use the new arrangements and those who, for any reason of their own, do not….”

We can say without fear of contradiction that all parties are agreed on that. The question is how, and what policies could threaten it. Bevan continues

“My job is to give you all the facilities, resources, apparatus, and help I can, and then to leave you alone as professional men and women to use your skill and judgment without hindrance.”

I’ve no doubt that 70 years later Bevan would be banging the table to say we had better get up to date with the means of doing so.

PS Babylon’s recruitment page says its GPs “will see up to 5 patients an hour”. Jaw hits table. Our GPs tell us they would collapse with such a poor rate of producton. Looks even more like the Babylon business model can’t cope with anything but a fit and healthy demographic.